LYCAN

ONLY “HUMAN CHAUVINISTS” DENY

ROBOT CONSCIOUSNESS

William Lycan

Three kinds of questions (343)

A. Will a computer ever be able to do X? (X: intelligent things like understanding jokes, having conversations, writing stories,…)

B. If so, will it do X like we do X? C. If it could do X, Y, Z,…, would it have property P?

(P: essential properties of human minds like consciousness, emotion,…)

Types A and B are empirical (scientific).Type C is philosophical and conceptual.

Lycan will answer all questions of type C at once.

Harry Argument (344)

PREMISES

i) Harry is a robot.

ii) Assume: questions of types A and B are answered affirmatively.

iii) Assume: Harry passes Turing Test with ease.

Harry Argument

INFERENCE 1

We use Turing Test alone to learn other people are conscious.

- not a proof [“zombies” are conceivable], but sufficient for “practical or moral certainty.”

SO: Only a) origin

or b) composition

distinguish Harry from a person.

Harry Argument

INFERENCE 2SO: Denying Harry personal status on

basis of a) origin or b) composition is mere prejudice.

INFERENCE 3SO: We must [on moral grounds?]

conclude Harry is conscious.

Henrietta argument (344-5)

PREMISES1. Henrietta is a person who gradually

becomes a robot by having her neurons replaced one-by-one with electronic devices. [Compare: cochlear implants.]

2. She continuously passes Turing Test for being Henrietta.

Henrietta argument

INFERENCES

1. There is no principled way to choose a point at which Henrietta may be said to lose her consciousness.

SO: 2. She doesn’t lose consciousness.

SO: 3. She is still the same person.

SO: 4. She is a (robot) person.

Free-Will and Robots

Soft Determinism (SD) or LIbertarianism

DEF of SD: to be free is to act from own beliefs, desires, etc., rather than being compelled or coerced by external forces.

Both people and robots are free in this sense. And unpredictable.